Chapter 408: A, You Think You Have the Upper Hand Again?
The Fourth Raikage slammed the table and directed his words at Konoha:
"The purpose of this summit is simple: the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Haneda, repeatedly interfered in the internal affairs of other nations and forced unfair treaties on other villages!
"This man was cruel and tyrannical, slaughtering the innocent, defying authority, and ruthlessly murdering the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. He even abolished the First Hokage's policy of 'One Nation, One Village.' His crimes are heinous and beyond redemption!
"As the Fourth Raikage, I hereby condemn Konoha and call upon Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and all nations and villages oppressed by Konoha to unite into an Anti-Konoha Alliance—a righteous force to bring justice to the Land of Fire!"
With that, Mifune led the applause, followed by the Tsuchikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage, all in accordance with the prearranged plan.
For a moment, Konoha found itself isolated and unsupported.
Shisui, having anticipated the plans of the four villages, was nonetheless infuriated and retorted sharply:
"The Five Kage Summit was established by the First Hokage to promote peace in the ninja world. Raikage, by advocating war, aren't you violating the very purpose of this meeting?"
"And Mifune, as a representative of the neutral Land of Iron, isn't your blatant bias toward Kumogakure a betrayal of your neutrality?"
The Fourth Raikage, who had come specifically to spark war, adopted a righteous tone in an attempt to claim moral superiority:
"Our campaign against Konoha is for justice and to bring about a new era of peace in the ninja world!
"Konoha occupies the best land, the richest resources, and the most fertile territory. Every great war in the ninja world has been caused by unequal resource distribution.
"Konoha also murdered the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, severing his bloodline. Our Daimyo, who has intermarried with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire for generations, has legitimate claims to inherit the Land of Fire's territory.
"Now Konoha continues to hoard the best land. This greed for the Land of Fire's resources fuels war.
"Similarly, the greed of the Daimyos for power and land fuels war.
"To prevent further conflict and to promote peace, the four great nations propose an equal division of the Land of Fire's territory.
"In the name of justice and peace, Konoha must perish!!!"
???
!!!
Shisui was utterly shocked by the Raikage's shamelessness.
He knew full well that the Anti-Konoha Alliance's true goal was self-interest, yet the Fourth Raikage had managed to frame it as a righteous cause. The audacity!
His voice trembling with disbelief, Shisui said, "Raikage, you—you are truly shameless!!"
The Fourth Raikage laughed. "And what of it?"
Mifune, trained in the traditional values of samurai honor, couldn't bring himself to say anything so brazen, even though he had been ordered to side with the Raikage.
Mifune said, "You are all leaders of ninja villages, not market vendors. Let's remain rational and respectful."
Shisui, already on edge, nearly lost his composure.
"Rational? How can I stay rational when my beloved Konoha is being treated this way?!"
"Where is justice? Where is fairness?!"
From the shadows, Shikaku transmitted a message to him:
"Stay calm, Lord Hokage. Stick to the plan."
Shisui regained some composure and glared at the Fourth Raikage and the others, his anger still simmering.
At that moment, he suddenly understood what Haneda had always said:
To prevent endless conflicts over resources and interests, the world must be unified.
A central authority could allocate resources fairly, avoiding disputes and war.
Even if disagreements arose, they could be resolved diplomatically, like in a high-level shinobi meeting, rather than escalating into full-scale war.
The Fourth Raikage ignored Shisui. Truth be told, he considered Shisui too young to take seriously.
Just then, the Mizukage, Mei Terumī, chimed in, not one to miss an opportunity to stir the pot:
"Uchiha men are all so handsome, even when angry. But, Hokage, can't you see what Raikage really wants? Don't you agree, Lord Tsuchikage?"
Han, the Tsuchikage, had no desire to speak but was forced to respond. "What's there to say? Everything Raikage does is for peace."
Mei, realizing Han wasn't as cunning as his predecessor Onoki, decided not to pursue the matter. She turned her attention to Rasa, the Kazekage.
Rasa, unwilling to be involved in this war but pressured by both the upper and lower echelons of his village, remained expressionless and chose to tacitly endorse the Raikage's leadership.
Finding the situation dull, Mei gave up trying to provoke competition for leadership. Neither Iwagakure nor Sunagakure had any interest in challenging the Raikage.
The Fourth Raikage, perceptive despite his rough demeanor, seized the moment.
"Now, I formally announce the formation of an alliance between Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure. Together, we will unite the ninja world for a new era of peace. In the name of justice, we shall form a ninja coalition to bring Konoha to justice!"
"I, the Fourth Raikage, A, will serve as the Supreme Commander of this coalition. I appoint Mizukage Mei Terumī as the Head of the Special Assault Division, Chiyo of Sunagakure as the Head of the Medical Division, and…"
Shisui couldn't help but interrupt.
"Raikage, isn't it inappropriate to make such declarations in Konoha's presence?"
"Besides, Raikage, do you truly believe you can defeat Konoha?"
"The First Great Ninja War, the Second Great Ninja War, the Third Great Ninja War—Konoha has always emerged victorious."
"Raikage, where does your confidence come from?"
The Fourth Raikage smirked. "I don't understand why you're questioning whether the Anti-Konoha Alliance can win."
"The First, Second, and Third Great Ninja Wars may make Konoha seem invincible.
"But let me remind you: for 50 years, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure have competed for dominance in the ninja world, forming the current Five Great Nations structure.
"In each war, we pushed Konoha to the negotiating table.
"This time, we have a decisive advantage.
"Konoha has only three allied villages—Amegakure, Hoshigakure, and a handful of others—with a combined force of about 30,000 ninja.
"But our alliance—Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure—can assemble an army of 50,000.
"When we add our allied villages like Grass, Taki, Frost, and even the samurai, our coalition will reach 80,000 strong!
"It's 80,000 against 30,000. The advantage is mine!!!"
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